I’ve Established My Practice, Now What?

I’ve been sitting 2 hours a day for 4 years, and my life has changed for the better, but there is still a major disconnect between my practice and the world around me. I’ve strived to contribute to the world throughout my adult life, and this meditation practice is the most powerful tool for personal positive change that I’ve discovered, but I don’t understand how this practice is supposed to contribute to the world. I’ve seen how this practice impacts certain individuals who have the time, resources, and strength to pursue an intense and consuming personal journey, but these individuals are rare. The belief that, “If everyone meditated the world would be a better place” is simply disrespectful to the complexity of the lives people live. In order to fully immerse in this practice I needed to temporarily disconnect from the world and most people simply can’t do that. Yet I’m a better person now than I’ve ever been because of Vipassana, and I wish there were ways to share these lessons with the people in my life.

Maybe now is the time for me to learn how to teach and lead. I’m not talking about teaching people how to meditate. I’m interested in living in the right way, with the right virtues, in order to inspire people to do good things with their lives. I want to learn how to motivate and strengthen individuals so they can make positive life choices in a world full of distractions. Instead of Vipassana being a reason to retreat further within myself, I want it to be a tool that helps me dive deep into the complex issues of our world so I can search for answer.

For two years, I shared my unfiltered thoughts on this blog, primarily so I could process and bring together the scattered truths Vipassana brought into my life, and secondarily to share my process as an inspiration for others on a similar journey. Now I want to write to help me explore the nuances between the subtle personal truths I’ve learned through Vipassana and my role as a contributor to my family, friends, community, and society. Maybe reading this process will helpful to you too.

Dear Ryan,
Stumbled upon the blog accidentally…
But let me tell, you are already helping people in many ways. By sharing your experiences, you are benefiting people in ways that others can’t even imagine. And I’m sure as your practice evolves further, your impact on others too will increase….